The present invention relates to a warning sign for traffic safety of vehicles, more particularly to a collapsible triangular warning sign which can be put on the road when the vehicle gets temporary trouble so that other vehicles passing by can find the trouble warning sign as early as possible and have sufficient time and a safe distance to get out the way to prevent collision of vehicles.
A collapsible triangular sign is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,195,264. It presents a shape of equilateral triangle, and includes an outer triangular passive light-reflecting surface made from plastic optical fully-reflected strip, and an inner triangular fluorescent shining surface made from fluorescent plate. The plastic optical fully-reflecting strip is inserted in the outside of a triangular frame, and the fluorescent plate is integrated with the triangular frame and positioned at its inner side, the two lateral components of the triangular frame can be rotated about its pivot axis on the bottom component respectively. At one of the bottom corners of the triangular frame, there is hinged a carrier arm, the triangular warning sign can be hung extending from window glass at either side of the vehicle via the carrier arm. Thus, the vertical incident angle of light is heightened, and interfering with the visible distance. However, owing to that the triangular warning sign is hung from window glass to project from the vehicle body at either side, it is liable to be scratched and rubbed by other vehicles passing by. While the triangular warning sign is limited by its structural form, it can""t be put on the road and keeping a certain distance away from the trouble vehicle. Therefore it has the drawback in that the safe warning distance is shortened.
One object of the present invention is to provide a triangular warning sign which can be put on the road on the front of or behind from the trouble vehicle at a certain distance, such that the drivers of other vehicles passing and meeting there are warned and have sufficient time and distance to take emergent measure to get out the way in order to ensure safety in driving.
Another object of the invention is to provide a triangular warning sign, the parts of which can be formed seperately then assembled by insertion so that the volume of forming dies can be largely diminished.
Yet another object of the invention is to provede a triangular warning sign, whose plastic optical fully reflecting strip can be formed from organic glass material once formed by injection moulding through precise super-finished dies, so that generation of strong, oriented, retro-reflected light can be ensured.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a triangular warning sign, which utilizes a structure of one counterweighed supporting plate and four supporting legs so that the stability against wind after putting can be ensured.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a triangular warning sign, wherein the edge components of the triangular frame and of the inner fluorescent plate triangle are formed seperately, such that the two triangles can be made in different colours, and the triangular frame can be made without fluorescent material, so that the fluorescent material can be saved, and decorating effect can be enhanced.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a triangular warning sign, which can be folded up as an elongated pack encased in a plastic box, thus it is portable and can be deployed quickly.
The triangular warning sign of the present invention is in the structural form of inner and outer equilateral triangles. The inner equilateral triangle is a fluorescent shining surface, and the outer equilateral triangle is a plastic optical passive light-reflecting surface. The sign includes: a triangular frame; a narrow positioning insert block and some flat positioning pins integrated with the bottom edge of triangular frame; six plastic optical fully-reflecting strips secured on the front and rear faces of three edges of triangular frame by ultrasonic welding; three fluorescent plates inserted into slots on the inner side of triangular frame to form double-faced fluorescent shining surfaces of an inner triangle; a counterweighed supporting plate positioned below the triangular frame; a narrow positioning insert block and some flat positioning pins for connecting the triangular frame and the counterweighed supporting plate; the fixed cuffs for enveloping the two ends of counterweighed supporting plate; four supporting legs hinged at the two ends of counterweighed supporting plate respectively; a narrow positioning insert block at the middle of bottom edge of the triangular frame inserted into the fixed seats of supporting legs which are used to secure the said four legs after they are folded up; and the rubber rings positioned at the ends of supporting legs.
Wherein said plastic optical fully-reflecting strips are made from organic glass material and once injection molded by a precise super-finished die which is invented by the applicant, therefore a strong, oriented retro-reflected light and a distant visibility can be ensured. Generally, when running a car at night, by illuminating with front lamps of the car, the driver can see clearly the triangular warning sign at a distance greater than 300 m, accordingly the driver would have sufficient time and distance to take measure to brake and emergently get out the way, thus a traffic accident can be avoided.
As the plastic optical fully-reflecting strips are secured on the front and back faces of three edge components of the triangular frame by ultrasonic welding, a good seal is obtained. Even though it is raining at night, its light-reflecting property is not yet affected. The said plastic optical fully-reflecting strips are welded in the depressions of three edge components of triangular frame, these strips are in full fit with the depressions and occupy almost the whole area of edge components. These strips and the triangular frame together compose the outer triangle of the triangular warning sign, serving as the optical fully-reflecting part at night.
Both faces of the three fluorescent plates are fluorescent surfaces which are used mainly to shine at daytime. One can find clearly the shining triangular fluorescent plates at a distance greater than 200 m. The three fluorescent plates are inserted in the narrow slots on the inside of three edge components of the triangular frame, and compose an inner equilateral triangle, then at the places where some lugs having a form of double cylinders with narrow slots project inward from three edge components of the triangular frame, secure the said three fluorescent plates which are inserted in narrow slots on the inside of three edge components of the triangular frame by using of fasteners, preferably by riveting with rivets. While the two fasteners positioned at the two ends of bottom edge of the triangular frame also can be used as the pivot axes for rotating the two lateral components of the triangular frame relative to its bottom edge, thereby the two lateral components of the triangular frame can be foldably rotated with the two fasteners at the two ends of said bottom edge as rotating centers respectively.
As the plastic optical fully-reflecting strips are welded at the front and back faces of triangular frame, and both faces of three fluorescent plates are fluorescent surfaces, therefore whether other vehicles come from the front or run behind, they all can see the triangular warning sign from two opposite directions.
The tip portions of the two lateral components of the triangular frame are staggerd and overlapped with each other. The said tip portions are mounted with snap fasteners by fusion, by which the two lateral components can be engaged with each other, thereby form an equilateral inner and outer triangular warning sign.
Along the bottom edge of the triangular frame, there provided some flat positioning insert pins and a narrow positioning insert block, while on the counterweighed supporting plate, there provided some elongated rectangular insert holes which fit with the said flat positioning insert pins. The flat positioning insert pins, each having a resilient hook on it, after inserted in the insert holes of the supporting plate, can be secured in the holes. The counterweighed supporting plate further has a central opening, a supporting leg fixed seat is inserted in the central opening and assembled with the said narrow positioning insert block by insertion.
The supporting legs fixed seat has four semicircular grooves used to engage and secure said four supporting legs after they have been folded up. Each of the two ends of the counterweighed supporting plate is provided with two hinge holes which can accommodate the bent ends of two supporting legs. A fixed cuff envelops each of the two end portions of the counterweighed supporting plate which cooperates with the fixed cuffs and restrains the supporting legs to rotate excessively. The maximum angle that the supporting legs can stretch out is greater than 90xc2x0.
At the end portions of the four supporting legs there provided a rubber ring for each of the legs in order to eliminate the vibration noise between the supporting legs and the counterweighed supporting plate after the legs having been folded up.
Some positioning tabs for folding are disposed on the triangular frame, such that after the triangular frame has been folded up, the said positioning tabs can define the position that the triangular frame should be folded into, thereby ensuring the folded triangular frame not easy to be loosed.
After folding up, the triangular warning sign presents an elongated pack which can be inserted into a rectangular plastic box with a cover, such that it can be handled and stored easily.